Selling processed birds

[claud]

If I sell my extra meat birds(processed) to friends or if I post it on a local bulletin board are there some kind of regulations against that?

 

[chcknrs]

depends on your state regs, but most, if not all, require you to be registered, licensed, inspected, etc by the USDA. Check your local USDA website.
If you sell to friends ya might be okay until one of them has problems. I share my elk with family and once in a while friends, but I give it away to them and only to close family and friends. And I limit it, cuz we love it!

 

[claud]

I looked on the USDA website and can't find anything. So all those people selling at the farmer's markets are USDA inspected?

 

[chcknrs]

Check your state regs under dept. of ag. Most are pretty strict, I think and you have to be inspected to sell processed meat. Might be easier to sell ready chickens.

 

[greyfields]

Get in touch with your local Extension office. They probably have a pamphlet already printed because they get asked this question a lot (especially since Joe Salatin's books came out).

The processing of poultry and rabbits does not fall under USDA jurisdiction unless you process over 19,999 per year. Some States have elected to require USDA inspection for poultry, but they are in a minority.

So, you need to figure out the laws of your State first. Secondly, it is very likely you will have to use a state or federally inspected processor. There will be restrictions on how you transport, store and handle the processed birds as well.

Some states do have permitting in place to allow you to slaughter and process yourself then sell directly from your premises. But, these do require inspection and approved facilities.

Let us know what you learn!

 

[jaku]

Read Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Saladin- it's a GREAT book and a very easy read. It will tell you everything you want to know. From what he writes, (and this varies by state,) you need to sell a lot before state regulations kick in- in the thousands. He also suggests that you should take pre-orders for and sell them as LIVE birds- then offer processing free of charge. That way, you are just selling chickens, not meat. Of course, most people will take you up on the free processing, but they COULD come get a live one if they wanted a terrible pet or a bird to process themselves. This will get you around many regulations. He also says that you shouldn't really ask any officials about regulations/inspections/etc. If, on the off chance a government official DOES find out you're selling chickens AND finds something you're doing wrong, he says that 99% of the time, you will either be told to stop, or told what you need to do to correct whatever the problem is. Get the book though- it will answer almost every question you could have.

 

[mmajw]

I looked on the USDA website and can't find anything. So all those people selling at the farmer's markets are USDA inspected?

Those people probably have to have them killed under inspection, in order to sell them.

If you are going to post them for sale then I believe all states require inspection and they have to be killed under inspection too. You may want to sell to family and friends.​

 

[greyfields]

I would discourage anyone from flagrantly disregarding the law in your state. The Salatin book is good; but he has some very dubious ideas in there on certain subjects. You never want to surprise a food safety inspector. It's best to be in the loop than out of it.

 

[lynxpilot]

Both USDA and most states allow home grown and processed for up to 20K per year. There are regulations but they're somewhat ambiguous. They could probably nail you on any number of birds on some little clause or loophole, but I haven't heard of them doing that around here. I sell mine to friends, co-workers, family, and acquaintances thus far and all of those are a long shot from posing any risk of being raided.

It's all another reason we don't need the USDA. Everything they do is either out of the pocket of ADM or Cargill and is geared toward promotion of non-sustainable industries.

 

[pasofinofarm]

My friend sells meat birds... then will help you process them. She has never had any trouble.

My Grandmother sold chickens. In her day folks came by and picked their fryer/broiler and then stood around and visited while she wrung it's neck, plucked and dressed it. People weren't as squeemish or as far removed from their food then.

I just recently had a woman at work who found out that I sell kitchen eggs tell me that she "doesn't eat eggs from the chicken". When I asked where the eggs she eats came from she replied "the store". This is not a joke and yes she was a grown person otherwise in her right mind.

I also took some fresh cow's milk into work recently and several people treated it like I had come in with a container of toxic waste. Thoes willing to try it were discouraged by those telling stories of the horrible diseases you might get and their awfull experience with the disgusting taste of fresh milk both from cows and goats. I was rescued by a friend who has the reputation of being the pickiest eater on my job. When she tasted it, pronounced it delicious and had a full glass everyone was suprised and curious. When she hadn't died by lunch time everyone (almost) was willing to try it and it was a huge hit. Unfortunatly because of dairing laws they will have to drive to my farm to get it as it can only be sold from my own property.

How sad that our food animals have to live in battery boxes or be raised in mass housing eating a totally unnatural diet before we consider it safe and legal! That you should even have to worry that you could be breaking the law by providing a superior home raised meat product to someone lucky enough to be able to buy it says something about what we are becomming.... and it aint good!

I say post your ad and if someone has a problem with it you'll know soon enough. In the meantime you will be giving someone a chance to possibly experience the only home raised fresh meat they have ever eaten in their life.